Documentary about Udo Jürgens

“He cried so much that an ambulance had to come”

At night, Udo Jürgens often cried so much that she had to call an ambulance, his ex-wife Panja Meier recalls in the ARD documentary "Udo!

(Bild: APA/dpa-Zentralbild/Jens Kalaene)

He was on stage for 60 years, but Udo Jürgens had a side that hardly any fans knew about. In the documentary "Udo!", Jürgens' ex-wife Erika "Panja" Meier now reveals that the singer was plagued by such massive fears of failure at night that sometimes even the emergency doctor had to come.

Erika "Panja" Meier was married to Udo Jürgens from 1963 to 1989 and they had two children, Jenny and John. In the ARD documentary by David Kunac and Sebastian Dehnhardt, which will be shown on December 23 at 10.30 p.m., Panja speaks openly about the panic fear of performing that plagued the singer.

"He cried so much ..."
"He often woke up crying at night. He cried so much that I called the emergency doctor. He then came and gave him a sedative," says Panja, who lives in Zurich. 

In the documentary, Panja Meier provides very private insights into life with Udo Jürgens.

(Bild: FinalFrame)

"It was the fear of the tour," Panja explained in the documentary, according to the Bild newspaper, explaining why Jürgens suffered from panic attacks. "The fear of having to fulfill what was expected of him. And he was so afraid that he wouldn't be able to do it."

"We met every day"
She met Udo in May 1955 in a Munich rock'n'roll club, Panja, who dropped the surname Jürgens after the divorce, recalls in the documentary.

Udo Jürgens with his first wife Panja and their children John and Jenny

(Bild: Manfred Bockelmann)

"I can still see Udo coming in. This lanky, tall man with a lot of charm. We never let go of each other while dancing. He took me home and we met up every day." Eight years later, they tied the knot in Munich.

Udo Jürgens was "always lonely"
But it's not just his ex-wife who remembers the great Udo Jürgens in the documentary and provides very private insights into the life of the man behind the star. 

"In public, Udo was a total professional, but in real life he was a total autist and lonely. Always lonely," describes Jürgens' brother, the painter Manfred Bockelmann. 

Exclusive insight into Jürgens' life
The documentary "Udo!", which was produced to mark the 10th anniversary of the musician's death, provides an exclusive insight into the colorful life of Udo Jürgens thanks to previously unpublished material such as photos and private films as well as diary entries and letters. 

Jenny Jürgens also talks about her famous father in the documentary.

(Bild: FinalFrame, Krone KREATIV)

His closest family, especially his children Jenny and John, as well as good friends and companions, analyze the exceptional artist, who not only sang about what he experienced, but also lived exactly what he sang about.